Tuesday, September 4, 2007

Stonewall

Thomas J. "Stonewall" Jackson's first burial plot, Stonewall Jackson Cemetery, Lexington, Virginia. Note: Many gravestones in this cemetery are decorated with a CSA shield and the Confederate flag.

About 100 feet east of the original burial plot is this resting place, which is where Stonewall Jackson and his family lie in eternal repose. Stonewall Jackson Cemetery, Lexington, Virginia.

Lexington, Virginia's, other most (in)famous citizen is Thomas J. "Stonewall" Jackson. One of the most storied generals of the Confederate Army, Jackson made his home and career in this tiny mountain town. While Robert E. Lee is beloved in this town, he is a blip on the radar when compared to Jackson. Nearly 1/2 of the buildings or areas of note in this town are named for Jackson.

Stonewall Jackson was a graduate of West Point (Class of 1846). It was at West Point where he met Lee. Following service in the U.S. Army that included a stint in the Mexican-American War, Jackson accepted a teaching post of "natural and experimental philosophy" and instructor of artillery at Virginia Military Institute. When the Civil War broke out, Jackson joined Lee and was called up to lead what would become known as "The Stonewall Brigade."

Jackson was wounded in a friendly fire incident at the Battle of Chancelorsville, Virginia, near Fredericksburg, in 1863. His arm was amputated and buried on the grounds of a farm serving as a field hospital. He eventually died of pneumonia, the result of his wounds, and was buried twice in Lexington. First, in a family plot and then beneath another Edward Valentine statue in the same cemetery.